“Well, what do you like?”
“You.”
I bit the corner of my bottom lip to hold back my smile. I lost the war—I looked up at him and smiled. “I like you too.” I bumped my hip into his. “But, what would you like for breakfast?”
“I like anything.”
“Banana pancakes?”
“You know how to make banana pancakes? I knew I was fallin’ for you for a reason.”
I think my heart just stopped. He just said that out loud with my dad in the room!
I cleared my throat. “Ah, well, you haven’t tasted them yet.”
Chay and I cooked breakfast together. Banana pancakes and fruit with fresh-squeezed orange juice. He was in charge of the fruit and orange juice. He didn’t know the first thing about cooking, so I made the pancakes.
By the end of breakfast, he’d sufficiently charmed my parents into thinking he’d hung the moon. When he asked if he could borrow me for the day, they didn’t hesitate.
“Sure,” my mom said. “Just have her back by tomorrow morning.”
Chay stopped with his glass of orange juice halfway to his mouth and stared at my mom with a dumbfounded look. I snorted a laugh and nearly choked on a piece of cantaloupe.
My mom chuckled. “Midnight,” she clarified.
Chay sat his glass down and let out a big breath. “Right. Of course.” He nodded. “I’ll pick you up in an hour, Milayna?” At my nod, Chay rinsed his plate at the sink before walking toward the door. “Thank you for breakfast, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson.”
“Anytime. See ya, Chay,” my dad said, waving over his shoulder when Chay walked by.
“See ya, Ben.”
“Later, dude,” Ben said around a mouthful of pancake and fist bumped Chay.
***
Exactly an hour later, his yellow Camaro pulled in the driveway. He walked to the porch; I opened the door before he rang the bell.
“I would’ve come out if you’d honked,” I said.
“Honked? My dad would kill me. You don’t honk for a lady, you walk to the door.”
“I think I like your dad.” I reached up to push a curl behind my ear. Chay’s hand beat me. He twisted the red strands around his fingers before sliding them behind my ear. My breath stalled in my lungs. Every time he touched me, I was afraid to breathe, to move, to speak. I didn’t want to do anything that would break the spell—make him stop. He let the strands sift through his fingers as he trailed the tips of his fingers down the side of my neck, across my shoulder, and down my arm until he reached my hand and threaded his fingers with mine.
“So where to?” He looked at me, his face relaxed and his expression open. It was something I rarely saw on him and I would’ve gone to the moon and back just to keep that look on his face.
“Me? You asked me out, remember?”
“Okay, I pick whatever you pick.” He grinned.
“I hate that. Tell me what you want to do and I’ll tell you what I want to do. And then we’ll pick.”
He turned to me and took a step, forcing me to take a step backward. I felt the smooth metal of the car behind me. Chay splayed his hands on each side of me, boxing me in. He leaned in close, but he didn’t touch me. I could feel the warmth of his body, smell his scent, and remember his taste. “I don’t care what we do, Milayna. I just want to spend time with you.” He shifted his weight and wrapped an arm around my waist.
There goes my heart again—doing all kinds of funny little tricks.
“We have all day, right?”
“Every second.” He nodded.
“The zoo.”
“Sounds great.” Chay pushed off the car and opened my door for me.
“You’re really okay with the zoo?” I asked once we were in the car, afraid he’d think it was boring or childish.
“Yeah, I haven’t been since I was a kid. It’ll be fun.”
We drove to the zoo without one quiet second between us. We talked about everything, except who—what—we were. We didn’t bring up the subject of demi-angels or demi-demons. There was no mention of demons or hobgoblins. Azazel’s name was never uttered. It was glorious.
We were at the big cat exhibit when I sucked in a breath and doubled over, dropping the slushie Chay had just bought me. The red liquid spewed across the pavement like the iced blood running through my veins.
“C’mon.” He guided me to a bench. I sat down, leaned forward, and wrapped my arms around my knees. “A vision?”
I nodded.
“Why didn’t I see this coming?” Chay said through clenched teeth. “You’re in a lot of pain?” He looked miserable. “What can I do?”
“Nothing,” I whispered. I wasn’t even sure I said it loud enough that he could hear. “When the vision is over, it’ll go away.”
“The pain never gets better. I thought it’d lessen as you got used to them.”
“No, it’s not better.” I pressed the thumb and index finger of one hand against my eyes to ward off the pounding growing in my head. It felt as if a person were inside my head, banging against my skull trying to break through. The other hand gripped the bench so hard my fingernails bent. My breath hissed through my clenched teeth as my insides squeezed together like they were in a vise, then stretched out of shape, all the while they burned and burned. I could almost taste the char in the back of my throat.
I tried to keep my breathing even and focus on the pictures that started to scroll in front of my eyes. Deep breath… in and out… in and out…
A little girl. A stuffed bear. Falling.
“A little girl with a stuffed bear.”
Chay blew out a breath. He put both hands on his head and turned in a circle. “You just described half the kids around us.”
“That’s all I see,” I snapped. Anger buzzed through my veins like a hive of angry hornets. The vision was only giving me glimpses of the problem. I needed the whole picture. My heart galloped in my chest. I didn’t know how much time I had. I couldn’t fail again. I couldn’t.
Come on, come on! I need more. Give me more!
“I’m sorry,” he said, rubbing my back.
I concentrated on the vision, trying to block out everything around me and just see the images in my mind and listen to the sounds.
Pink shorts. Pigtails. The bear is falling.
I focused harder, rocking back and forth on the bench, my hands pressed to my eyes.
A tiger. The stuffed bear. Falling.
“Oh!” I dropped my hands and sat up. “She’s wearing pink shorts and pigtails. Her father has on a blue shirt and jeans. They’re either by the tiger exhibit or they’re on their way.”
“I see them.”
“Stop them! Stop them now! They can’t get to that exhibit.” I stood and bounced on the balls of my feet, my hands on the top of my head. My insides quivered like the nasty, green Jell-O they served at school.
“How?”
I can’t think. I can’t think of a way. The vision, it won’t stop playing. It won’t let me think!
I held my head. “I don’t care! Just stop them or that father is going to fall into the pit with the tiger. She’s going to drop her bear into the grating between the rock fence and the drop-off. He’s going to try to climb over to get it, and he’ll fall.”
“I know what to do.” Chay ran to a nearby kiosk gift shop and bought two stuffed bears. He ran back to me and grabbed my hand. We made it to the tiger exhibit just as the little girl dropped her bear over the fence. She started to cry. The father let go of her hand and braced himself to jump the fence when Chay stepped in.
“Sir, please don’t do that. It’s dangerous, and you have a lot of kids watching. You wouldn’t want one of them trying it.” He knelt down in front of the little girl. “We have two bears just like yours. How about you take one of our bears, and we’ll let the zoo keepers have your bear as a surprise?”
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Okay.” She took the bear Chay held out to her.
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“Thank you,” the father said, taking his little girl’s hand and letting her pull him to the next exhibit.
“Better?” Chay looked at me and cupped my cheek in his hand. I leaned into him.
“Yes, but I don’t want to leave while that bear is still there. Another parent might get some crazy idea or, God forbid, a kid. Will you stay here while I go get an attendant to fish it out? I won’t feel good until it’s gone.” Chay waited at the fence while I found a zoo employee to get the bear so no one else would be tempted to try and grab it.
“Here.” Chay held out the second stuffed bear when we walked away from the tiger exhibit. “This one is for you.”
“Really? Thank you.” Hugging the bear to me, I looked up at Chay. I pulled the bear back and looked at it, straightening its bow and smoothing the fur from its plastic, blue eyes. “This is…”
No boy has ever giving me anything like this before. What’s it mean? It’s just a bear, but what if it’s not just a bear? What if it means something more to him? I think I’m going crazy. This love stuff is so hard to figure out. Wait. Love?
Chay tilted his head and looked at me. “What?”
I decided to go the bold route. Slipping my hand behind his neck, I pulled him to me. His lips fit mine perfectly. When I pulled back far enough to speak, I said, “Thank you. I love it.”
“Damn, Milayna, if I’d known you liked teddy bears that much, I’d have been buying them for you every day.”
I sat down on a bench and settled my new stuffed friend in my lap. “Listen, I know we haven’t been here that long, but do you think we could go?”
“Sure.” Chay’s brows knitted together. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No! You… You’ve been great. I’ve had a, um, it’s been really nice being with you.” I gave him a small smile and fidgeted with the bear in my lap. “It’s just… the visions really zap my energy, and I feel so tired afterward. I don’t want to ruin the day.”
“Would eating help?” At my nod, he said, “How ‘bout we get something to eat and see how you feel? If you still want to leave, we can. If you feel better, we can stay and see the rest of the zoo.”
“Okay.” I really wanted to go home and take a nap. A nap with him wouldn’t have been too bad.
“Do you want to eat out here? We could get some burgers and sit on the lawn.”
“Are your parents home?” I looked down at the toe of my shoe when I asked. When he didn’t answer, I looked up through my lashes.
He was watching me with his blue-green gaze that seemed to see straight into me and read all my secrets. He cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, yes, they are.”
I nodded and kicked at the ground with the toe of my shoe. “So are mine.” I looked over my shoulder. There was a long stretch of crisp, green grass. Large oaks and sugar maples surrounded the area. The autumn sun warmed the air and shone through the brightly colored leaves like a stained glass window. “So, let’s lie in the grass.”
He smiled. “Okay, pick a spot, and I’ll grab something to eat.”
I found a place close to a tree and eased myself down onto the cool grass, watching him in line at the concession stand. Actually, I watched the other girls watching him, gloating when he didn’t notice their attempts to attract his attention.
He paid for our food and brought back two burgers and every imaginable condiment. “I didn’t know what you liked,” he said with a shrug.
We made our burgers and ate in silence. I watched people walk by and listened to the birds in the tree above us.
“You’re still exhausted.” Chay’s gaze trailed over my face.
“No, I feel better.”
Sort of. I’m so tired, but I don’t want our day to end. I want every second I can have with you.
“Let me take you home.”
“No! I mean, are you ready to go home?” I held my breath, waiting for his answer.
“No, but I don’t want you to be miserable. Here, lay your head in my lap. Rest for a while and see how you feel.”
I hesitated.
My head in his lap. Oh, man. That is so not going to help me relax.
“Um, okay.” I lay my head in his lap, my hair fanning out over his legs. He ran his finger down the side of my face and smiled down at me, twirling my hair around his fingers. It felt so good when he ran his fingers through my hair. It tickled throughout my body, like a feather was fluttering just beneath my skin. My muscles felt like jelly, and my eyes grew heavy.
I’ll close them just for a minute. Then we’ll get up.
Chay continued running his hand through my hair and down the side of my face. My body felt weightless, like we were floating away. Just him and I. As I snuggled closer, he pulled me to him until there was no space between us, just a beautiful sensation of perfumed peacefulness. It pulled me to it. I heard Chay’s warm voice urging me to go, and with a contented sigh, I gave in.
Opening my eyes, I blinked a few times. I looked around before looking up at Chay. He was leaning back on his elbows, looking into the distance, my head still in his lap.
I pushed my hair out of my face. “I fell asleep. I’m so sorry. How long have I been sleeping?”
And, ohmigosh, did I snore or drool?
“About an hour or so, not too long.” He sat up and looked down at me. “Feel better?”
“Yeah, but I’m sorry I made you sit here.” I started to sit up, but Chay pushed my shoulders down, keeping me in place.
“You didn’t make me do anything. I’m right where I want to be.” He framed the side of my face with his hand. “What do you want to do now? Do you feel like doing something or should I take you home?”
I covered his hand with mine. “I don’t want to go home.”
“Then what do you want to do? We’ll do whatever you want.”
“How about the gardens?” I sat up. Chay’s hand followed me, never leaving my hair.
“Whatever you want.” He wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and pulled me to him. His lips were firm, moist, and molded to mine perfectly. The kiss was soft and slow. He lifted his head, and his gaze held mine. “You’re beautiful.” I felt a blush heat my cheeks. I looked at the ground, turning my face from him. He cupped my cheeks and pulled my face back to his. “Why do you do that? Why do you look away?”
“It’s, um… I’m not…” I dropped my gaze from his.
No one’s ever told me I was beautiful except family and they don’t count, and you’re… like… uh, freakin’ amazing. How could I ever be beautiful standing next to you?
“Look at me, Milayna.” I lifted my gaze to his. “You’re beautiful.” He kissed me gently.
“Thank you,” I whispered around the lump squeezing my throat closed. I remembered back to when Muriel and I called Chay the hottie. It definitely fit. He was a stone-cold fox. I couldn’t figure out how I measured up. It wasn’t like I was a hag, but I didn’t look in the mirror and see someone beautiful looking back at me.
“Let’s go find these gardens you want to see.”
***
We strolled through the gardens hand in hand for the rest of the afternoon until it was too dark to see and we were forced to go home.
“It’s almost tomorrow,” he murmured against my ear as we swayed in the swing in my backyard, watching the stars glimmer against the velvety black sky.
“I know.”
“Think your mom and dad would let me bring you back the day after tomorrow?”
I smiled. “Somehow, I doubt it. Besides, aren’t you tired of me yet?”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be tired of spending time with you.” He ran his finger down the side of my face, across my jaw and to my lips.
My body instantly reacted to his touch. I could feel myself being drawn into him, like an invisible string was pulling me. His lips replaced his finger, moving softly over them. I leaned farther into him, urging him to take the kiss deeper. The air around us grew heated. My heart thundered in my
chest. My breath came in small gasps when his mouth moved from mine to travel along my neck and across my collarbone. I sighed.
A ball Ben left in the yard jumped in the air, bouncing against the side of the house.
Chay lifted his head and grinned. “Telekinesis.”
“Yeah. Kiss me again and let’s see what else we can make bounce around.”
He laughed and lowered his lips to mine.
Two weeks, two days until my birthday.
Sunday morning at nine o’clock, I dialed the phone. I listened to the ringing on the other end, tapping my fingernails on my bedside table.
“‘ello,” Chay answered, his voice gravelly.
“Rise and shine,” I chirped.
“What time is it?” I could hear his blankets rustling through the phone.
“About an hour later than you let me sleep yesterday,” I told him.
“Don’t you know weekends are for sleeping in?” Chay asked.
“I want to see you.” I held out my hand and looked at my freshly painted fingernails.
“Isn’t that my line?” he said and yawned.
“Yeah, but it works both ways. I’ll pick you up in an hour.”
He laughed. “Okay, if I have to.”
“You do.”
“I can’t wait,” he said, and I grinned like an idiot.
An hour later, I rang the doorbell at Chay’s house. A pretty blonde answered the door. “Hi, Milayna. Come in.”
“Hi, Mrs. Roberts.”
She wasn’t at all how I expected Chay’s mother to look. She was a pale blonde with fairer skin, and a few freckles dotting the bridge of her nose. He and his mother shared the same unusual eye color, though.
“Chay will be right out. Have a seat.” Mrs. Roberts perched on the arm of a chair and folded her hands in her lap. “You and Chay are in classes together?”
“Yes, ma’am. Three.”
“That’s great. You two seem to be getting along quite well.”
Smiling, I nodded. I could feel a blush fingering its way up my neck toward my face. Nerves made my breakfast roll over in my stomach and play dead.
“So.” Mrs. Roberts smiled and slapped her palms on her thighs. “Do you want to see some baby photos?” I almost laughed. I couldn’t tell if she was serious or not. I mean, my mother liked to pull out the baby albums, but she at least waited until the third or fourth date.